Retro Game Shops in the UK

Retro gaming in Britain has never had more shops behind it, or lost them faster. Alongside the second-hand chain on every high street, a whole layer of specialists has grown up: online-only warehouses with thousands of tested cartridges, independent stores where you can pick a boxed Mega Drive off the shelf, and one or two that have quietly outlasted the consoles they sell. The trouble is that this layer moves. Rents rise, leases end, and a shop that was thriving last spring can be a shuttered window by autumn.

So this is a directory built around that fact. Every shop below was checked and confirmed to be trading at the time of writing; none is listed on reputation alone. To keep it honest we have left out street addresses and phone numbers, which go stale fastest, and instead named the town and linked the shop so you can find its current details yourself. Always check a shop is open before you set out.

Verified July 2026

Buying online

For most collectors this is where the hunt starts. A good specialist tests its stock, states each game's region, and photographs the actual item rather than a catalogue picture, which matters when condition sets the price. These are established UK sellers that post nationwide.

None of these is the cheapest possible source; a patient eBay buyer will sometimes beat them. What you pay for is the testing, the honest grading and the region-correct stock, which is exactly what saves a first-time buyer from an expensive mistake.

Shops by region

Physical stores are thinner on the ground than they were, but a browse in person is still the best way to buy: you see the condition, you can haggle, and most will take a trade-in on the spot. Here are independents we have confirmed trading, grouped by area. Opening hours change, so check ahead.

London & the South East

The Midlands

The North

Scotland

Wales

Not seeing your area? That is the honest state of the map, not an oversight: whole regions now rely on the online shops above and on the second-hand chain below. If a local independent near you is trading and worth a mention, tell us and we will verify and add it.

The high-street chain

You cannot write a UK buying guide without CeX, the second-hand entertainment chain with hundreds of branches nationwide. It buys, sells and trades retro consoles and games as far back as the 8-bit machines, tests everything, and pays the same day. For picking up common discs cheaply, or clearing a box of them, it is genuinely useful. Just remember its prices are set by a national system: it is the convenient option, rarely the one that gets you the most for a rarity. Know roughly what your standout items are worth before you sell them in.

How to buy well

Wherever you buy, the same handful of checks separate a good purchase from a costly one.

• Match the region to your setup. A UK PAL game and a Japanese or US NTSC import are not interchangeable on every machine, and imports can run at the wrong speed or refuse to boot. A careful shop always states the region; if a listing does not, ask.
• Read the condition, not just the price. Loose cartridge, boxed, or complete-in-box with the manual are three very different values for the same game. Photos of the actual item are worth far more than a stock image and a vague grade.
• Know the going rate before you spend. A minute of research turns "that sounds about right" into a real number. Our guide to retro game values covers how condition, region and rarity set a price, and the PlayStation, N64 and Saturn values guide drills into the fifth generation specifically.
• Beware the too-good boxed rarity. A sought-after title priced far below the market is the oldest warning sign there is. Pay by a method with buyer protection for anything expensive.

Selling your collection

Selling is the other half of the shop question, and the right route depends entirely on how much time you want to spend. The blunt rule: the more effort you put in, the more of the value you keep.

• Specialist retro shops. Many of the shops above buy collections outright and will quote by email or in person. It is the least stressful way to clear a large lot in one go, at a trade price rather than full retail, because the shop has to resell at a profit.
• eBay UK. The highest ceiling, if you are willing to photograph, list, pack and post each item and absorb the fees. Best reserved for the genuinely valuable pieces, where the extra work is worth it.
• CeX. Instant, same-day cash or store credit at fixed rates. Fine for common games, low for anything rare, and the credit option is worth more than the cash.
• Member to member. Selling directly to another collector cuts out the middle margin entirely. Retro Delights members can list items on the Trading Post, our members' trading board, and deal with people who actually want the specific game.

Whichever route you pick, get the standout items valued first so nothing valuable goes out as filler. It is the single step that most often pays for itself.

Know a shop we've missed?

This directory is only as good as it is current, and independents open and close faster than any single list can track. If there is a trading UK retro shop we should include, or one here that has since closed its doors, let us know and we will verify and update. Freshness is the whole point.

Buying and selling: FAQ

Where can I buy retro games in the UK?

You have three good routes. Specialist online shops such as Retrogames.co.uk, ConsoleMAD, Console Passion and 8-Bit Beyond carry tested, region-correct stock and post nationwide. Physical shops still exist in most regions, from Retro Giant in Romford to Forgotten Worlds near Glasgow, and are worth the trip for browsing and trade-ins. And the high-street chain CeX buys and sells retro consoles and games across hundreds of branches. Stock and prices vary widely, so it pays to compare before you buy.

Are there still retro game shops on the high street?

Fewer than there once were, but yes. Rising rents and the move online closed many independents over the past decade, yet a healthy number survive and some are thriving. Sheffield's Super Retro Video Games has traded since 1992, and Forgotten Worlds near Glasgow bills itself as the biggest retro games shop in the country. Independents do come and go, so it is always worth checking a shop is still open before you travel.

Where can I sell my retro game collection?

The main options are specialist retro shops, which often buy collections outright and will quote by email or in person; eBay UK, which fetches the highest price if you are willing to list and post items yourself; CeX, for instant same-day cash or credit at fixed but modest rates; and member-to-member sale. Retro Delights runs a members' Trading Post for exactly that. As a rule, the more effort you put in, the more you keep. Convenience always costs a little money.

Is CeX good for buying and selling retro games?

It is convenient rather than generous. CeX has hundreds of UK branches, tests everything, and pays the same day, which makes it an easy way to shift a pile of common discs. But its buy prices are set by a national system and are usually well below what a boxed rarity fetches on eBay, and the store-credit option is worth more than the cash one. For common games it is fine. For anything rare, get it valued first.

Do retro game shops buy whole collections?

Many do, and it is often the least stressful way to sell in bulk. Long-running shops such as Retrogames.co.uk actively invite collection offers, and most independents will make an offer on a box of games and hardware. Expect a trade price rather than full retail, since the shop has to resell at a profit. It helps to know roughly what the standout items are worth before you accept, so nothing valuable is sold off as filler.

How can I tell if a retro game shop is trustworthy?

Look for the basics: a real trading history, clear photos and descriptions of the actual items rather than stock images, an honest returns policy, and independent reviews on Trustpilot or Google. Shops that test their stock and state a game's region, PAL or NTSC, tend to be the careful ones. For anything expensive, pay by a method with buyer protection, and be wary of a boxed rarity priced far below the going rate.